Domestic Partnership Privileges for Students

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Following the landmark 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same sex marriage, the University conducted a review of its domestic partners program and determined that the underlying reason for the creation of the program no longer exists. As a result, the University is revising the program to reflect the change in law and, also, to respect the relationships of our students who are currently participating in the program or who register as domestic partners before July 1, 2017.

Students who have a domestic partnership registered with the University (via Human Resources or Campus and Student Life) prior to June 30, 2017, will be grandfathered under the existing program and will continue to receive domestic partner privileges as long as they remain in their existing partnership. These privileges include access for their partner and their partner’s children to the University Student Health Insurance Plan (U-SHIP), housing, athletic facilities, and libraries. After July 1, 2017, new students and their partners or current students who are not grandfathered in to the existing domestic partnership program will need to be married or be in a civil union to receive partnership privileges.

For students, the new policy will take effect July 1, 2017, with the following highlights:

Current participants will continue to receive privileges under the existing program and do not have to take any action, as long as they remain in their existing partnership.

Current students who verify their domestic partnership arrangement on or before June 30, 2017, will be grandfathered into the existing program, as long as they remain in their existing partnership.

Partners who are not grandfathered into the existing domestic partnership program before July 1, 2017 will need to be married or be in a civil union to receive privileges.

A FAQ on the Campus and Student Life website provides details on the process and documentation required to register a domestic partner under the current policy, as well as additional information on this policy change.

Should you have any specific questions related to eligibility for privileges, please contact Mario Polizzi, Senior Associate Dean of Students in the University and Executive Director for Administration and Planning, at mpolizzi@uchicago.edu or 773.702.5243.